You Were Never the One
by Tarafina
Summary: "To think, I actually considered giving up my dreams and my hopes and my whole life for a boy who lacks the capacity to understand what that actually means!" :end of Finchel, beginning of Puckleberry:


**Title**: You Were Never the One (But I've Found Him)  
><strong>Category<strong>: Glee  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Angst/Romance  
><strong>Ship<strong>: Puck/Rachel, end of Finn/Rachel  
><strong>Rating<strong>: Teen  
><strong>Prompt<strong>: "Someday some guy is going to thank you for letting go of me." by xxxalexandraxxx – puckrachel drabble meme (part 8)  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 1,078  
><strong>Summary<strong>: "To think, I actually considered giving up my dreams and my hopes and my whole _life _for a _boy_ who lacks the capacity to understand what that actually _means!_"

**_You Were Never The One (But I've Found Him)_**  
>-11-

This was it. It was really, _truly _over…

Finn stood with his hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched near his ears, and that apologetic look on his face.

_It's just… Me and Quinn… Y'know?_

Wiping at her silent tears, Rachel shook her head, staring at the boy she'd spent nearly three _years _doing everything in her power to love and hold on to. What was the old saying? _If you love something, let it go… If it comes back to you, it's yours forever_.

Well Finn did come back, or maybe she dragged him back, but he wasn't hers. In fact, she wasn't sure he was _ever _really hers. And forever? Forever was one year of a relationship spread over three, bits and pieces, fractions of starting and ending. And the _tears? _Those were endless! _Those _were forever! Those came and went and returned with a vengeance!

"So…?" he asked, scuffing the floor with his shoe.

She hated that he was still so cute. Hated that he looked like the wounded puppy in this situation. _He _was dumping _her!_ For another _girl! **Again!**_ And not just any girl, but the same girl; over and over. Why was she even _surprised?_

She laughed. A little hysterically if she did say so herself. She couldn't stop it though; she covered her mouth and closed her eyes and tried to will the giggling away, but it only got heavier and thicker, until her body fairly _shook _with it.

Noah told her this would happen. He warned her that things would never end between Finn and Quinn. In fact, he told her two and a half years ago that Finn would never leave her; maybe he meant it in a literal sense, but she saw now it was more emotional than anything. Finn and Quinn needed each other; they fell back on one another whenever things were hard. They were familiar. And yes, she was sure, eventually they'd hit another roadblock and they'd call it quits. She felt sorry for the next girl who thought Finn Hudson was her be all, end all.

Because Rachel Berry wouldn't be her!

She wouldn't be the girl who had her heart kicked around and repeatedly run over _again_. She was done with being his second choice. Done with wishing and hoping that he would realize how great he had it with her!

"You deserve each other," she finally said, not meanly or callously, just simply.

"Rachel…" he said on a sigh.

"No, you do." She nodded. "You really do. And you know what, Finn? I hope you're _happy_…" She stared up at him with red-rimmed eyes. "I hope that she fills whatever emptiness there is in you… I hope you're finally, _finally _complete with each other because all you do when you're with anybody else is hurt them! You make them think they have a _chance! _A chance to love and _be _loved by you… And they _don't!_" Her mouth wobbled with emotion. "But you know what, I'm _glad!_" She threw her hands up and laughed. "I _am!_"

He opened his mouth but she held up a finger to stop him and he snapped his mouth shut.

"Don't. Don't tell me I'm not." She shook her head. "I may be crying… I may even be _heartbroken_… But the truth is, I'm _grateful_…" She nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek. "Because I could have made the _biggest _mistake of my _entire _life by actually considering _you _over New York…" She smiled brightly, despite her hurt. "To think, I actually considered giving up my dreams and my hopes and my whole _life _for a _boy_ who lacks the capacity to understand what that actually _means!_" Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she closed her eyes and composed herself.

"Rachel, I never meant to hurt you… It was never like that."

"No, it never is." She swiped beneath her eyes. "But it's okay… You know why?"

His brows furrowed.

"Because someday some guy is going to thank you for letting go of me… He's going to love me better than you ever have and I will know what it's like to have somebody I can trust. Somebody who will be _proud _to be with me! And all of _this_ will be _worth _it…" Reaching down, she grabbed up her trolley bag and started off the stage, pressing a hand to her chest as if to keep her shattered heart from falling right out.

Hurriedly, she made her way through the halls and away from the boy who always made her feel like this. She tried desperately to keep from outright sobbing; she squeezed her eyes closed and took deep, calming breaths. But the tears still fell.

When she stepped out of the school, she saw her bus take off down the road and her shoulders fell. She'd have another half hour wait before she'd be home. She wondered if she had any tissues in her bag…

And then she spotted him.

Noah was standing in the parking lot, leaned back against the front of his truck, his hands in his pockets. He started for her just as she began walking toward him, wondering what he was still doing at school.

They met in the middle.

"Hey," he said, nodding his chin.

"Hi," she replied, brow furrowed. "What are you doing here?"

He looked away. "I dunno…" He shook his head. "Finn said he was breaking up with you and…" He shrugged. "I thought maybe you'd want someone around or something…"

She stared up at him with wide, teary eyes.

Puck reached over and took the handle of her trolley bag from her hand and then held out his elbow for her to take. With a sniffle, she did, resting her head against his bicep and taking comfort in him. She breathed in the familiar scent of him and absently stroked the muscles flexing in his arm. He didn't make fun of her, didn't tell her he told her so, didn't even offer to beat up Finn even if she knew he wanted to. Instead, he bent and kissed the top of her head and continued on as her silent strength.

On the short walk to the truck, Rachel's broken heart healed a little bit.

Months later, when she stepped off a plane and into New York, she took that same arm as they made their way to a cab, set for their future, and it was healed completely.

[**End.**]


End file.
